Elsie Kanza PhD
Tanzania
Occupational Information
Job Title: Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States of America
Professional History
Elsie Kanza was posted as one of the 22 ambassadors for Tanzania on 22 May 2021 by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. On 17 August 2021, her diplomatic posting as the Ambassador of Tanzania to the United States of America was confirmed. Prior to this, she was Special Advisor to the President of the World Economic Forum. She was formerly Head of Africa and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum. Since August 2011, she oversaw the annual World Economic Forum on Africa summits from 2012 to 2019, as well as a portfolio of multi-stakeholder initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa related to the Forum’s platforms seeking to accelerate progress on the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Between 1997 and 2011, she served in various capacities in the Government of Tanzania in the Private Office of the President of Tanzania, Ministry of Finance, and Central Bank of Tanzania.
Elsie serves on a number of non-profit and advisory boards, including the UONGOZI Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development, and The Nature Conservancy. Elsie obtained an honorary doctorate of business administration from the University of Strathclyde. She has received various honours including Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women by Forbes Africa in 2020, Top 100 Africans by Institute Choiseul in 2015, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2011.
Qualifications
PhD in Business Administration, honoris causa, from the University of Strathclyde, UK
MA in Development Economics from Williams College, USA
MSc in Finance from the University of Strathclyde, UK
BSc (Hons) cum laude in International Business Administration from the United States International University – Africa
Programme
2008 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow
